Jiu-jitsu black belt competitor Mike Kalika has set out to give jiu-jitsu a different kind of photographic exposure with his project People of Jiu-Jitsu.
Kalika’s resume includes two IBJJF No-Gi Worlds gold medals and two IBJJF No-Gi Pans gold medals, but on top of his jiu-jitsu acumen, he has a strong interest in photography. Now, he’s set out to combine both of these passions.
“I started taking photos of people after training a while back. After seeing a face of an old person in a magazine and reading her bio, I had an idea to do a project where I take photos of Jiu Jitsu people after training. The shot should always be raw and expose everything that we usually hide behind the camera.
Furthermore a bio is written telling everyone about an athlete, his or her journey, their ups and downs through it along with athlete giving back to their teachers/ friends who have helped them to get to this level or who have perhaps introduced them to the art”
People of Jiu-Jitsu is conceptually similar to Humans of New York, giving the jiu-jitsu community around Kalika a similar kind of photographic treatment. On December 8th, Kalika’s project will hold of a sort of grand opening in the form of the People of Jiu-Jitsu Expo, which will be held at Team Fabio Clemente in Manhattan, NY.
“In the future I would like to shine more light at this event and not only help the Jiu Jitsu community grow but also for non bjj oriented people to feel the love and appreciation we have for the art.”
At this event, Kalika will showcase the hundreds of photo essays that he’s done and aims to bring the jiu-jitsu community together under one roof for a special opportunity to both enjoy the art and roll.
Mike’s closing words for anyone interested in checking the event out:
“Share the love for jiu jitsu through photography”
For more information about the People of Jiu-Jitsu Expo check out the Facebook event page.
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